A telecommunication network is generally comprised of a large number, sometimes millions, of network elements. These network elements are provided by different vendors, each specialized in different domains and layers, such that the entire network is quite heterogeneous. The network elements are usually self-monitored, so as to detect a failure and notify the failure by means of fault information.
A network operator or provider is responsible for an infrastructure comprising many network elements. It is therefore helpful for the provider, monitoring the infrastructure, to be able to rapidly identify the root cause of a failure and the affected services so that they may be repaired in order to ensure a high quality of service and to meet service contracts.